Topic: Rich's October Horror Fest

[richierich]

Title: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Movie Count:20 
TV Ep. Count:14 

Runtime:98
Certificate:R
Year:2003
Genres:Horror

Plot:Prepare yourself for a level of fear like you've never experienced before...
A group of friends takes a detour while traveling through the back roads of Texas and encounter a chainsaw-wielding maniac. What happens next is beyond anyone's darkest imagination and will leave you speechless and horrified.
From filmmaker Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys II) and starring Jessica Biel ("7th Heaven") comes this year's most hardcore and terrifying film.
You've been warned.

My Review:
Questionable remake of a classic horror, no ground-breaking additions to the original save Jessica Biel in skimpy attire. There are certainly improvements (just) on the originals wooden acting of teenage bait, and Ermey is spot on as twisted sherriff Hoyt. The effects are more realistic and dramatic, with a couple of gorefest moments and old leatherface really going to town with his chainsaw. However the 'shock' value of the original, even with its many flaws when compared to modern day filmmaking etc, cannot be matched.
Too far away from the original for my taste, and the improvements have been at the expense of plot, so I would recommend passing this by.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[Achim]

There seems little merit in this Saw franchise going any further, but as we know there is now Saw 4 and 5 to digest at some point.

You don't seem to be aware that IV and V have been released already and this year sees VI at the cinemas...

[richierich]

There seems little merit in this Saw franchise going any further, but as we know there is now Saw 4 and 5 to digest at some point.

You don't seem to be aware that IV and V have been released already and this year sees VI at the cinemas...

Sadly I own 4 and 5    My son and his mates love this kind of flick.
Not sure if I can stomach another one this month, I'm getting gored out after so many unfamiliar horror/slashers watched in October

[richierich]

Title: Rescue Me: The Complete Third Season

Movie Count:20  
TV Ep. Count:15  

Certificate:NR
Year:2006
Genres:Comedy, Drama, Television

Plot:The third season of Denis Leary and Peter Tolan's Emmy®-nominated series examines the aftermath of devastating personal losses that the 62 Truck crew experienced at the end of the scorching second season.
Episodes:
6. Zombies
After a game of street hockey, Sean takes some sleeping pills believing they are painkillers and it has an unwanted consequence. In the meantime, Tommy and Angie decide to go on their fake date that they know will upset Janet. After having a close call, Lou gets a new angle on firefighting from his Uncle Red.
My Review:
Fantastic, very funny and sexy episode, that had nothing to do with horror or halloween except for the title Zombies.
After taking 4 sleeping pills Sean sleepwalks zombielike to a supermarket, sampling all the foods, abusing customers and staff, and abducts a rabbit. Meanwhile Tommy gets to grab ass and tit rub Marisa Tomei to make his ex jealous.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[richierich]

Title: Broken Lizard's Club Dread

Movie Count:21 
TV Ep. Count:15 

Runtime:104
Certificate:R
Year:2004
Genres:Comedy, Horror

Plot:Broken Lizard is back…and this time the crazy comedy troupe that brought you Super Troopers is taking you on a trip so outrageously fun...it’s murder.
Welcome to Coconut Pete’s Pleasure Island, a tropical, tequila-soaked vacation resort where high-spirited fun soon takes a deadly turn-leaving the island’s hilariously inept staff to battle a machete-wielding maniac as they fight to survive another day in paradise. Filled with sidesplitting humor, scary slasher scenes, and plenty of bikini-clad babes, Broken Lizard’s Club Dread is a comedy to die for!

My Review:
A horror that isn't horror, a comedy that's not funny, no storyline, shite acting, pointless nudity and amateur effects - that equals this dismal offering.
I wonder what they had on Bill Paxton to get him to star in this shambles, it doesn't make any sense as he is a great actor.
Possibly the worst film I've sat through this year.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[richierich]

Title: Angel Heart

Movie Count:22  
TV Ep. Count:15  

Runtime:108
Certificate:18
Year:1987
Genres:Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:Alan Parker's brilliantly imaginative thriller Angel Heart is re-born on DVD for the Director's Chair Collection.
The film, packed with stunning images, jaw-dropping scenes and superb performances from Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke, is a fusion of two genres - the classic Chandleresque detective story and the supernatural.
Harry Angel is hired for $125 a day to track down the big band swinger Johnny Favourite. What seems like a straight-forward missing person case dramatically becomes a murder hunt for this down-and-out private detective. His client, Louis Cyphe, a mysterious stranger, is forced to up his fee to keep Angel on the case.
Each of Angel's leads ends up as a victim of a ritualistic act of murder, as he begins to put together the pieces in the jigsaw of Johnny's strange story... the nightmare has just begun.

My Review:
Having been slightly underwhelmed after watching this on TV, following so many good reviews, I approached this to give it a second chance.
Again however my mind has not changed, it is a good film, but it is in no way great.
Dark, oppressive and brooding, with wonderful imagery and direction, the deep South comes alive on your screen with New Orleans in particular portrayed as a sweaty, mysteriuos city full of imaginitive characters. DeNiro does not appear much in the film, but the scenes with him and Rourke are hypnotically sinister and mesmeric. For Rourke, definately a great performance from an actor who lost his way career-wise, a role seemingly made for him.
The sex scene with Lisa Bonnet is infamous, but personally I didn't find it too disturbing or in the least shocking?
An imaginitive private eye whodunnit with sinister undertones, slow-going in places, but with enough twists to maintain full attention, the whole film was slightly spoilt by such an obvious and frankly laughable ending.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[Najemikon]

Title: Broken Lizard's Club Dread

A horror that isn't horror, a comedy that's not funny, no storyline, shite acting, pointless nudity and amateur effects - that equals this dismal offering.
I wonder what they had on Bill Paxton to get him to star in this shambles, it doesn't make any sense as he is a great actor.
Possibly the worst film I've sat through this year.

Awful film. I was so disappointed because I really enjoyed Super Troopers and Beerfest even. The Broken Lizard normally have an infectious enthusiasm for their silliness, but I'm sure the problem with this was simply because they attempted to do a parody. They don't normally do stupid accents and just play it straight...

[richierich]

Title: Soul Survivors

Movie Count:23 
TV Ep. Count:15 

Runtime:86
Certificate:R
Year:2001
Genres:Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:After a night of partying, college freshman Cassie (Melissa Sagemiller) and her friends are involved in a bloody car accident that turns into a horrifying tale of the supernatural. Overwhelmed by startling hallucinations, Cassie's grip on reality slips further as she begins a desperate race against time to learn who her real friends are, who wants her dead, and who will be the Soul Survivor.

My Review:
Fairly unoriginal and clichéd, but not the worst of its ilk. Think final destination and I know what you did last summer, and it fits squarely in that stable of genre.
Pretty good production, reasonable teen friendly cast, sensible pace and undramatic portrayal, the film is easy to watch with very little blood letting and more intelligent psychological challenges. The ending is too predictable, and some parts are handled clumsily, with elements of the script just too improbable to be believable.
Average movie worth watching, but truthfully not worth recommending as a purchase.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[richierich]

Title: Prom Night

Movie Count:24 
TV Ep. Count:15 

Runtime:92
Certificate:R
Year:1980
Genres:Horror

Plot:Six years ago when young Robin Hammond crashed through a broken window, her playmates vowed to keep the accident a secret. They promised that no one would ever know. But someone already does.
Now,after years of keeping the secret, Robin's sister Kim (Jamie Lee Curtis) is about to be crowned Prom Queen, but a chilling event undermines her party plans. Revenge for the six year old murder is around the corner as the unknown observer turns maniacal killer stalking the high school halls. Kim's friends are disappearing and the halls are filling with blood. 'This was the prom where some were crowned and others lost their heads.'

My Review:
This movie is nearly 30 years old, and it felt every day of it. JLC looked about 10 years too old for school, and Leslie Nielson was so uncomfortable in a serious role he appeared wooden. The disco dance scenes are hilarious, albeit unintentionally, and the music during the 'tension' scenes is off-putting. With red herrings in spadefuls, and complete lack of gore, this becomes a humdrum whodunnit.
Only the chase sequence and unmasking of the killer at the end, which I hadn't even considered, pulled it up to average status.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[richierich]

Title: The Birds

Movie Count:25 
TV Ep. Count:15 

Runtime:119
Certificate:PG-13
Year:1963
Genres:Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:Nothing equals THE BIRDS for sheer terror when Alfred Hitchcock unleashes his foul friends in one of his most shocking and memorable masterpieces. As beautiful blonde Melanie Daniels ('Tippi' Hedren) rolls into Bodega Bay in pursuit of eligible bachelor Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), she is inexplicably attacked by a seagull. Suddenly thousands of birds are flocking into town, preying on schoolchildren and residents in a terrifying series of attacks. Soon Mitch and Melanie are fighting for their lives against a deadly force that can't be explained and can't be stopped in one of Hollywood's most horrific films of nature gone berserk.

My Review:
Superb film, not necessarily horror (at the beginning probably better described as comedy) but 2nd half must have been disturbing at time of release. Tippi Hedren is a babe, totally gorgeous and from her screen test you can tell she was a bundle of fun. The effects are convincing for an early 60's movie, and as always with AH it's the character depth, long silences, pace, suspense and tension that keep you glued to the screen.
I am sure there is some underlying message hidden deep within this film, possibly frustration, human weakness, mother/son relationships aka Psycho?? Whatever it is, I was happy to sit back again and marvel at another great job by the director.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[richierich]

Title: Ugly Betty: The Complete First Series

Movie Count:25 
TV Ep. Count:16 

Certificate:12
Year:2006
Genres:Television, Comedy, Drama

Plot:Audiences are cheering for a vibrant overachiever with the spirit and the smarts to live her dream. America Ferrera stars as go-getter Betty Suarez, a true beauty in the skin-deep world of high fashion. Two very different cultures collide in this sexy and stylish series about believing in yourself regardless of the odds.
EPISODE:
6. The Lyin', the Watch and the Wardrobe
It's Halloween and Betty is in for a series of frightful experiences, ranging from showing up dressed for the Mode costume contest until she learns that there isn't one, to dealing with her growing attraction to Henry, and tracking down a watch Daniel left at one of his many girlfriends' apartments, but can't remember which one it is. Meanwhile, Daniel pays a visit to his mom in rehab, and Wilhelmina is horrified to learn that she can't fit into a designer gown.
My Review:
Bland halloween episode, very ordinary and light on humour. Most of the time is spent learning the consequences of philandering, and vanity in the older woman.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[richierich]

Title: Ring Around The Rosie

Movie Count:26 
TV Ep. Count:16 

Runtime:88
Certificate:R
Year:2005
Genres:Horror

Plot:In this electrifying suspense thriller, your deepest fears become reality. Following her grandmother's last wish, Karen (Gina Philips, Jeepers Creepers) reluctantly travels to a remote, run-down mansion to sell the family estate where she grew up. Karen soon realizes that she's not alone at the property. Living in the shanty at the horse stables is Pierce (Tom Sizemore, Heat), an odd and mysterious caretaker. With every passing night as she rummages through the dusty house, Karen's fond memories of her childhood turn into nightmares.
Haunted, Karen feels relief when her sister arrives, but things only spiral out of control when Pierce becomes increasingly more violent. Suddenly both women find themselves trapped in a house that preys on their greatest fears. Karen has no choice but to face the horrible memory she thought she put behind her and walk the line between bad memories and deadly reality.

My Review:
Not the worst effort I've ever watched, but certainly below par. The direction, production and acting was as expected in this low budget flick, although Tom Sizemore stood out as a pretty convincing nutter. The whole thing falls apart with about as flimsy a storyline as the 2 sisters clothes were, and the ending only made you think was it worth watching in the first place?
A lack of tension, horror, suspense or drama puts this effort into the easily forgettable category.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

[snowcat]

Ring around the Rosie, is one of only a handful of films I have turned off partway through with no intention of continuing to watch it at some point...

And I watched Evan Almighty! (it only took me 3 days.)

[Achim]

This movie is nearly 30 years old, and it felt every day of it. JLC looked about 10 years too old for school, and Leslie Nielson was so uncomfortable in a serious role he appeared wooden. [...]

Didn't Leslie Nielsen only start comedy after his success with Airplane and other stuff? Until then he was mainly known for serious stuff (as far back as Forbidden Planet in 1956). Doesn't mean he was not acting wooden in Prom Night or even his previosu serious stuff

[richierich]

Title: Seed of Chucky

Movie Count:27 
TV Ep. Count:16 

Runtime:87
Certificate:NR
Year:2004
Genres:Horror, Action, Comedy

Plot:In this outrageous, unrated and fully extended version of Seed of Chucky, everyone's favorite killer doll returns – and he's bringing the entire family!  This time around, Chucky (voiced again by Brad Dourif) and his homicidal honey, Tiffany, are brought back to life by their orphan offspring, Glen.  Then, the horror goes Hollywood as Chucky unleashes his own brand of murderous mayhem!  Featuring Academy Award® nominee* Jennifer Tilly (as herself and the voice of Tiffany) and hip-hop star Redman, it's more gore, more gags, and much more Chucky doing his dirtiest deeds yet!

My Review:
Hilarious horror parody, Tilly is great value as nutty Thunderbirds go mad. It is a ridiculous farce, but it knows it, and plays on it, so the franchise has been driven from weak horror to fairly good comedy.
The introduction of the asexual 'seed' opens up new plot routes, and several scenes were truly gut-wretchingly funny and would make you think twice for a variety of bizarre reasons about having a wooden doll in your bedroom.
Buy this for a laugh, not for a scare.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5